Wong & Owens Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Has anyone here ever had a gastroscopy before? My doctor is thinking about having me get one. I've heard you're sedated, and there's really no prep, so it's pretty pain/discomfort free. Anybody who's had one care to share their experience? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 My mom had that a few years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Has anyone here ever had a gastroscopy before? My doctor is thinking about having me get one. I've heard you're sedated, and there's really no prep, so it's pretty pain/discomfort free. Anybody who's had one care to share their experience? Thanks! no big deal, i've had a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggio202 Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Has anyone here ever had a gastroscopy before? My doctor is thinking about having me get one. I've heard you're sedated, and there's really no prep, so it's pretty pain/discomfort free. Anybody who's had one care to share their experience? Thanks! i have to have an endoscopy every 2 years...thats where they scope my stomach and esophogus and take tissue from both looking for cancer cells because about 5 years ago i develop esophogitis from acid reflux desease and now im more predesposed to getting cancer there because of the damage id di to the cells of the esophogus.. is that what your talking about..scoping our stomach??? pretty simple proceedure..you get put under , they take a camera on the end of a long flexible tube ,along with a pair of scissors designed for this proceedure, and run it down your stomach then watch the pitcures on a TV...then they cut a small piece from different parts of your stomach and esophogus and then a lab checks for cancer cells...or if they find a tumor or something out of the ordinary they wil take pieces from that too... the risk is the as in any surgery with anastesia (sp?)...very small one..the risk during the proceedure is that the surgeon could cut your esophogus with the scissors and that would have to be fixed by either repairs using the scope or if the cut hits an artery where there is a lot of bleeding they might have to cut you open to stop it...again thats very rare if you checked your surgeon out and feel that he/she is compentant then the risk is very small... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wong & Owens Posted February 2, 2004 Author Share Posted February 2, 2004 i have to have an endoscopy every 2 years...thats where they scope my stomach and esophogus and take tissue from both looking for cancer cells because about 5 years ago i develop esophogitis from acid reflux desease and now im more predesposed to getting cancer there because of the damage id di to the cells of the esophogus.. is that what your talking about..scoping our stomach??? pretty simple proceedure..you get put under , they take a camera on the end of a long flexible tube ,along with a pair of scissors designed for this proceedure, and run it down your stomach then watch the pitcures on a TV...then they cut a small piece from different parts of your stomach and esophogus and then a lab checks for cancer cells...or if they find a tumor or something out of the ordinary they wil take pieces from that too... the risk is the as in any surgery with anastesia (sp?)...very small one..the risk during the proceedure is that the surgeon could cut your esophogus with the scissors and that would have to be fixed by either repairs using the scope or if the cut hits an artery where there is a lot of bleeding they might have to cut you open to stop it...again thats very rare if you checked your surgeon out and feel that he/she is compentant then the risk is very small... Bags, Thanks for your input. Yes, a stomach scope is what I was referring to. They probably won't be taking any esophogus samples because I don't have any acid reflux problems or heartburn. My doctor seems to think that possibly my 8 years of digestive problems might be due to h pylori bacteria, which causes ulcers. He says that they're now finding that even if it doesn't cause an ulcer, that h pylori can cause other more serious problems later if left untreated. Thanks again for your info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggio202 Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 Bags, Thanks for your input. Yes, a stomach scope is what I was referring to. They probably won't be taking any esophogus samples because I don't have any acid reflux problems or heartburn. My doctor seems to think that possibly my 8 years of digestive problems might be due to h pylori bacteria, which causes ulcers. He says that they're now finding that even if it doesn't cause an ulcer, that h pylori can cause other more serious problems later if left untreated. Thanks again for your info. no problem...good luck... thats funny because i remember the first i had a scope they found h pylori in my stomach too (atleast i think that what it was - it was some kind of bacteria)...but they said it wasnt 'active' at that time and didnt think it was a big deal..maybe i should have them revisit that issue if you are saying they now think it might cause problems later down the line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soxfan420 Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 ive never had one, but i would imagine it would hurt when u wake up, im not sure how big of a tool they use, hopefully it is extremly thin. but good luck and i hope they dont find anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wong & Owens Posted February 2, 2004 Author Share Posted February 2, 2004 no problem...good luck... thats funny because i remember the first i had a scope they found h pylori in my stomach too (atleast i think that what it was - it was some kind of bacteria)...but they said it wasnt 'active' at that time and didnt think it was a big deal..maybe i should have them revisit that issue if you are saying they now think it might cause problems later down the line If it's h pylori, I'd actually be relieved. I, of course, am convinced it's cancer. I'm driving my girlfriend nuts--she thinks I'm crazy for being so worried about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggio202 Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 If it's h pylori, I'd actually be relieved. I, of course, am convinced it's cancer. I'm driving my girlfriend nuts--she thinks I'm crazy for being so worried about it. i worried about about cancer too...it easy for someone else to tell you not to worry when they dont have to go through it...you wouldnt be human if you didnt worry.. soxfan 420 brought up a point i forgot...when you wake up your throat will be extremely soar...its actually more irritated than soar...lasts about a day...if the hospital is letting you go home the same day make sure your girlfriend or someone is around to watch you for about 24 hours..the effects of anastetics can come and go..you can think you are fine and then all of a sudden start to feel real dizzy...you need a good 24 hours to recover...eventhough they might tell you that you can go back to work.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastime Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 I don't know if this helps, but I looked it up on a medical journal and this is what I found: Gastroscopy is an examination of the inside of the gullet, stomach and duodenum. It is performed by using a thin, flexible fibre-optic instrument that is passed through the mouth and allows the doctor to see whether there is any damage to the lining of the oesophagus (gullet) or stomach, and whether there are any ulcers in the stomach or duodenum. The GP will decide when drug treatment alone is sufficient or whether an investigation by gastroscopy at the local hospital is necessary. The procedure is painless and is usually done under a light sedative as a day-case patient in a specialised endoscopy unit. Occasionally, after a discussion with the endoscopist, the procedure will be performed without sedation. When sedation is used, the patient will not be able to drive or operate machinery for the rest of the day. Anyone suffering from stomach problems should consult a doctor who will, in most cases, treat the symptoms without a major examination. How is a gastroscopy performed? After explaining the procedure, the endoscopist will spray the back of the throat with a local anaesthetic. This is similar to the anaesthetic used by dentists. It numbs the throat and may make it difficult to swallow. When sedation is used, it is not a full anaesthetic and the patient will still be conscious and aware. A nurse will lie the patient on their left side and the endoscopist will then gently place the end of the instrument into the mouth and ask the patient to swallow it, which feels like swallowing a large piece of food. The endoscopist may need to put some air into the stomach to perform the examination effectively and this can cause discomfort or even a need to belch. This is perfectly normal. The endoscopist will closely examine the lining of the gullet, stomach and duodenum to identify the cause of the symptoms. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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